Any one of these three boxes of gifts could keep Chang'an alive for five winters without a single person freezing to death. But now, they are merely gifts sent by An Lushan. Gifts that don't even deserve a word in return.
At that moment, the old man came over.
"Boss, I don't think this old guy is very honest."
"How did you know? They gave you a very generous gift."
“I don’t understand the ways of you officials. But I can judge people. This guy makes me feel dangerous. If it’s a gang fight, I’ll either avoid him or kill him immediately.”
"After all these years, I still can't figure out your ability to judge people. But it's okay, you were right again this time. This old guy is indeed a dangerous person."
"How is it dangerous? Could it be that he's plotting a rebellion?"
Lu Xuan didn't speak, but gave the old man a strange look that made the old man feel uneasy.
"Alright, alright, I won't say anything negative. How would you like to arrange things, boss?"
"Notify Zhang Xiaojing to mobilize all the spies in Chang'an. I need to know An Lushan's every move. Who he met, what gifts he gave, and what demands he made."
"I'll take care of it right away. But master, we'll accept this gift. If you don't say a few good words when you meet the emperor tomorrow, won't it damage your reputation?"
“That makes sense. In that case, I’ll have the Left and Right Imperial Guards conduct a training exercise tomorrow. I’ll personally oversee the battle and won’t be attending court.”
Old man: "..."
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Chapter Ninety-Six: The Battle of Wool (Please Subscribe)
If possible, Lu Xuan actually wanted to kill An Lushan right now. It would be effortless for him. After all, his control over Chang'an had reached an extremely high level. Even letting him die silently was entirely possible.
The idea flashed through Lu Xuan's mind all night. In the end, he decided to postpone his actions.
An Lushan's problem wasn't just about him personally. More importantly, it reflected the problems of the Tang Dynasty's military governor system. Killing An Lushan now would be simple, but another An Lushan would inevitably rise up in rebellion in the future.
Think about it: the local military governors held almost all the power over finance and the military. They were essentially local emperors.
The key was their army, located on the frontier and constantly engaged in warfare. Compared to the lax and disorganized central army, theirs was naturally much more valiant.
The central government will eventually discover that the military governors have slipped out of its control. Centralizing power is inevitable. However, no one will easily relinquish their emperor-like power. This will ignite conflict, and rebellion will be inevitable.
Lu Xuan had thought about this problem a long time ago. The very existence of the Jiedushi system was due to the central government's inability to function.
Before the Tianbao era, the Tang Dynasty's borders had always maintained a strong capacity for outward expansion. However, after years of war, the Eastern and Western Turks, Xueyantuo, Gaochang, and others were defeated one by one by the Tang Dynasty. The entire territory of the Tang Dynasty underwent a tremendous expansion.
However, this led to a huge problem. These vast territories required troops to garrison them. Consequently, the imperial court needed to spend enormous sums of money to ensure that these conquered territories remained under its control.
As the frontier expanded and expenditures increased, the central government eventually became unable to bear the burden. Foreign policy began to shift from offensive to defensive.
Throughout ancient China, the adversaries on the borders were always nomadic or semi-nomadic peoples, primarily cavalry. In times of war, they could amass tens of thousands of troops and plunder with lightning speed. Therefore, the central government had to change its border strategy, concentrating the small garrison towns of a few hundred men into more powerful and formidable border fortresses.
Initially, everything in these key military strongholds was under the control of the central government. However, in that era, communication and transportation were far too primitive. When the enemy attacked, the central government would receive the news and begin wartime mobilization, logistical preparations, and so on. By the time everything was ready, the enemy had already looted and fled.
Left with no other option, these key border towns were left to organize their own resistance. This necessitated decentralizing greater power, concentrating authority over taxation, recruitment, and other matters in the hands of a single individual. The seed was thus sown, and when it grew, blossomed, and bore fruit, it became the inevitable An Lushan Rebellion.
Sometimes, Lu Xuan would think to himself, "Throughout history, these nomadic peoples have never accomplished anything worthwhile. They've only ever caused trouble for human civilization. They've destroyed countless civilizations, but haven't built anything of their own. You go through all the trouble of fighting them, and you gain absolutely nothing. They're just a bunch of troublemakers; anyone who touches them is disgusted. The singing and dancing ethnic minorities of later generations are much more endearing."
Thinking of this, Lu Xuan got up and went to the backyard.
"How's that thing coming along?"
"It's finished."
"Very good, wrap it up for me."
Lu Xuan can no longer freely visit the Crown Prince's residence. He is now the Grand General Protector of the Tang Dynasty, in charge of the six armies of the Northern Army, plus the still-developing Loyal and Brave Guard. Such a large armed force, close to the capital, requires him to begin avoiding any appearance of impropriety.
Although everyone knows he's a member of the Crown Prince's faction, caution is still necessary. After all, imperial power can easily drive people mad. What if Li Longji goes insane before his death? Wouldn't that be a greater loss than gain?
However, while the Crown Prince cannot go, Li Bi is not a problem. The two are both members of the Crown Prince's faction and are both young, so some private interaction is within acceptable limits.
Li Bi was somewhat surprised by Lu Xuan's visit. After the Lantern Festival, to avoid suspicion, the three of them rarely plotted together as before. He wondered what Lu Xuan's sudden visit was about.
"Sit," Li Bi said, leading Lu Xuan into the room. Then he served a pot of tea. It was the kind of light tea that Lu Xuan had concocted himself. This tea was now beginning to circulate in a certain area. Its delicate fragrance and slightly bitter taste were perfect for a group of literati to show off. It was estimated that it wouldn't be long before it was widely available.
"It's been a long time. How have you been?"
"It's alright. I'm just lying at home all day, and someone even sent me three boxes of gifts. That's enough to buy gifts from two streets in the West Market."
"Is it An Lushan? These days, he's been bribing various high-ranking officials in the court, supposedly hoping to get them to speak on his behalf and become the military governor of Hedong." Li Bi was clearly also paying attention to this matter.
"I've taken the money, but I haven't decided whether to do it or not, that's why I'm hiding here with you."
"This man is obsequious and has no moral bottom line. If he gains more power, he will surely become a great threat in the future." Surprisingly, Li Mi also saw the problem with An Lushan. Or rather, these elites of the Tang Dynasty had far better insight than he had imagined. But unfortunately, seeing through things didn't mean they would change them.
Just like Li Linfu, who constantly promoted and appointed these non-Han generals, did he never consider the potential risks? Or perhaps he did consider them, but simply didn't care. Because those future risks were far less significant than his immediate interests.
"The real threat no longer lies with An Lushan, but with the military governor system of the Tang Dynasty. Don't ask me why I say this; I think my head is about to explode from thinking about it. Let's talk about something lighter. I brought you a gift this time."
"Oh? A gift from you? That's really something. I wonder what strange thing you've come up with this time."
"Hehe, give it a try."
Lu Xuan then took out a piece of clothing from the bundle Xu Hezi had prepared for him. To be precise, it was a white wool sweater.
"This thing was made by more than a dozen craftsmen and weavers in my family over a period of nearly a month."